Suction cleaner



2 sheets-shawl um. NM mm D. c. GERBER Erm. sucTIoN CLEANER sept. 19, 1950y Filed July 19, 1946 INVENTORS ale C. Gener BYE'U enell'nyder Sept. 19, 1950 D. c. GERBER ETAL 2,522,709-

' sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed July 19, 1946 ZShetS-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS Dale' C. Gerer f BY Eu ene Snyder Patented Sept. 19, 1950 SUCTION CLEANER Dale C. Gerber and Eugene L. Snyder, North Canton, Ohio, assignors to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of` 1Ohio Application July 19, 1946, Serial No. 684,842

2 Claims. ('Cl. 18S- 54) The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to a new and improved support for `the filter.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a support for a filter bag which is vibrated to remove foreign material. Another object is to provide a support for applying `vibrating forces to the end of the filter bag and distributing such forces equally throughout the end of ythe bag to clean the latter. A further object is to provide ra connection between the iilter :bag and a bag-shaking device. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through the cleaner;

Figure 2 is a section along line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view in perspective and partly in section of the structure for supporting the filter bag.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a casing IIJ closed at its exhaust end by a cap II having an outlet port I3 adapted to receive the cleaner end of an unshown dusting tool hose provided at its opposite end with a surface-cleaning tool in a manner well known in the art. The suction end of the casing is closed by a removable end cap I4 provided with an inlet port I5 adapted to receive the cleaner end of a dusting tool unit in the same manner as the outlet port I3. 'End cap I4 is removably attached to the casing IIJ by being provided at its lower end with a protruding lip I6 which seats within a pocket I1 formed at the end of a bracket I8 mounted on the bottom of the casing IIl by a rivet I9. An overcenter type latch 2B is mounted on the top of the casing Ill and cooperates with the end cap I4 to force it against the end wall or face 2l ci the casing Il),

and a seal 22 `prevents leakage of air therebe-` tween.

Casing I is slidably supported upon longitudinally extended runners 23 terminating short of the front end Wall 2| of the casing I0, and which enable the operator to pull the machine over the supporting surface by means of a force exerted through the dusting tool hose. There is also provided along the top of the cleaner casing a handle 24 of the strap type and which provides means by which the operator can lift the cleaner from place to place.

Within the casing I near the exhaust end cap `II is a motor 25 having a shaft 2B which extends into a fan chamber 21 where it carries rotatable fans 28-28 separated by fixed guide vanes 29. The fan chamber is formed with an intake port 30 and with exhaust ports 3l. The motor-fan unit is supported at its forward end by a resilient rubber ring 32 which lies around the forward edge of the fan chamber 21 and is supported by a fixed bulkhead 33 in the casing l. At its opposite endthe motor-fan unit is carried by a resilient ring 34 which encircles the hub of the motor casing and is carried by a perforated bulkhead 35 xedly secured in the casing I D by screws I2. The forward bulkhead 33 is also perforated and is contoured to provide a shoulder 325 which seats and frictionally retains a perforated cap 31 to form a chamber 38 within which is positioned suitable liltering material to provide a secondary filter, the primary filter being a bag 40. I

The filter bag 46 has an annular side wall 4| and a closed end wall 42, the open end of the bag 40 being secured to aflange 43 by a band 44, the liange 43 defines the inlet to the bag 40 and is removably secured to the casing I0 by screws 45.

The closed end of the bag 4B is supported by a circular frame 46 within the bag and has a central hub 41 from which radiates three arms 48 terminatingin an annular wall 4Q on which is formed a iiange 5B of a diameter equal to that of the bag to support the bag side wall 4I and stretch the closed end wall 42 of the bag thereover, and the bag side wall 4I is secured to the annular flange 5D by a band 5I. The arms 48 of the bag frame 46 are each provided with a flange 52 and shoulder 53 to form openings 54 for passage of air through the end wall 42 of the bag. Exteriorly of the bag end wall 42 is a substantially U-shaped bracket 55 having a bar 51 extending diametrically of the bag end wall 42 and terminating in arms 58 and 5S extending along the bag side wall 4I. The bracket 56 is secured to the bag frame 46 by a bolt GI passing through the bracket bar 51, a grommet in the bag end wall 42, the hub 41 and by a wing nut 62 which is interiorly of the bag 44. A seal '63 is provided about the bolt Si between the bracket bar 51 and the bag end wall 42 to prevent leakage of air. The head 64 of the bolt 5I is rectangular and is arranged in the U-shaped crosssection E5 of the bracket bar 51, and a cap 66 is secured to the bracket bar 51 whereby the wing nut 82 may be manipulated without rotation of the bolt 6I. The lter bag is removed from the casing I Il by disconnecting the wing nut 62 and the screws 45.

Pivotally connected to the bracket arm 58 is a link 10 and pivotally connected to the other bracket arm 59 is a pair of links 1| and 12. The links 10, 1|, and 12 are pivoted at their lower ends to a base plate 13 which lies along the lower portion of the casing IIJ and is flxedly secured, as by welding at 14, to the forward bag ring 2| and is secured to the casing Ill by one or more spring clips 15. The pivoted links 1I and 1I along one side f the bag are equal in length and have their pivot points at their opposite ends spaced equidistant so that as the links 1I and 'I2 pivot, the bracket 56 will at all times remain parallel to the major longitudinal axis of the cleaner casing which results in the bag-supporting frame 46 also remaining parallel with the front bag ring 2| at the opposite end of the bag 4U.

Link 1I is connected below its pivot point 16 to a spring 11 attached at its opposite end to the base plate 13, and the spring 11 exerts a force which tends at all times to move the link 1| and, accordingly, connected links 12 and 10, the bracket 56 and the bag-supporting frame 46, rearwardly within the casing I0 to draw the bag 40 taut.

The bag 40 is vibrated by a bag-shaking mech-- anism indicated generally at 18 and not completely described herein since it is similar to the bag-shaking device disclosed in the application of Louis E. Segesman, Serial No. 599,147, filed June 13, 1945, now Patent No. 2, 498,098.

In operating the cleaner, dirt-laden air is drawn through a suitable dusting tool unit connected to the inlet port I in the end cap I4 and passes into the filter bag 40. Filter 4I) removes from the air stream the suspended foreign material and the clean air passes outwardly through the bag side wall 4| and the openings 54 in the bag frame 45 through the bag rear wall 42 into the space defined by the surrounding main casing I0. Before entering the fans, whichv are rotated by the motor 25, the air first passes through the secondary filter 38 to remove any remaining dirt particles which have escaped from the initial separator 40. The cleaned air passes into the fan system at the intake or eye 3U of the fan chamber 21 and is exhausted through ports 3| into the space within the casing III surrounding the motor 25. This space is separated from the space around the filter bag 4|] by the bulkhead 33. The air then vpasses through the foraminous bulkhead 35 and the exhaust port I3 into the surrounding atmosphere. This operation can continue until such time as the accumulation of foreign material within the filter bag 40 reduces the effective suction of the machine thereby reducing cleaner efficiency. Thereupon it becomes necessary to remove the foreign material from the bag.

The bag-cleaning operation comprises initially the removal of the end cap I4. This is accomplished by the operator releasing the cover latch 28 whereupon the cover I4 pivots outwardly at its upper end to permit the downwardly extending lip I5 on the underside thereof to disengage its socket I1. The cleaner is then open ended and the operator tilts it so that the ring or plate- '2| lies flush upon a supporting surface which is preferably provided with a dirt-receiving paper or the like. Also the bag 40 is arranged with its open mouth facing downwardly upon the rece1v1ng paper.

With the machine so positioned the bag-shaking mechanism 18, described in the aforesaid Louis E. Segesman Patent No. 2,498,098, is operated to repeatedly vibrate the bag 4I) by moving the end wall 42 of the bag toward and away from the bag mouth 43. After each collapsing of the bag 49, the spring 11 jerks the bracket 56 and bag-supporting frame 45 back to their original positions in which the bag is taut, this being accomplished by the pivotal force which the spring 11 exerts on the link 1I. This abrupt vibration of the bag effects the dislocation of adhering foreignmaterial which thereupon falls downwardly through the central aperture 43 of the bag ring 2| to collect upon the underlying supporting surface. After the bag has been cleaned, the operator need only tilt the machine back to its original operating position on the skids 23, replace the end cap I4, and the machine is again ready for cleaning operation.

Although the bag-shaking device 18 and the spring 11 are arranged along the bag side wall 4I between the ends thereof, an axial forceis applied equally throughout the end wall 42 of the bag to collapse and tighten kthe latter in parallel planes transversely of and normal to the longitudinal axis of the bag 4I) by means of the frame 46 completely filling the end of the bag 4!) to thereby distribute throughout the bag the forces applied centrally to the bag frame 45 at the central connection 6| through the bracket 56 and links 1B, 1I, and 12.

We claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a filter bag in said casing, said bag having a side wall, a closed end wall and an open end, the latter providing an opening for dirt entering said filter bag, a bag frame at said closed end wall and of an area substantiallyequal to said end wall to support the same, spring means exerting a force to move said bag frame away from said open end to draw tight said side wall of said filter bag, and bag-shaking means disposed along side said filter bag side wall and completely arranged between said clos-ed and open ends and connected to the central area of said bag frame for moving said bag frame toward said open end and thereafter releasing the same so that said spring can return said bag frame to pull said filter bag taut, said. bag frame and central connection to said bag-shaking means causing an equal tension to be exerted throughout said bag during operation of said spring and of said bag-shaking means disposed along said side wall of said filter bag.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a filter bag in said casing, said bag having a side wall, a closed end wall and an open end, the latter providing an opening for dirt entering said filter bag, a bag frame interiorly of said bag and across said closed end wall, spring means exerting a force to move said bag frame from said open end to draw tight the side wall of said filter bag, bagshaking means exteriorly of said closed end wall and disposed along side said filter bag side wall between said closed and open ends so as not to obstruct said open end of said filter bag, means connecting said bag-shaking means to said bag frame at the mid-section of said closed end wall,

said bag-shaking means moving said bag frame toward said open end and thereafter releasing the same so that said spring can return said bag frame to pull said filter bag taut, said bag frame and central connection to said bag-shaking means causing an equal tension to be exerted throughout said bag during operation of said 5 1 spring and of said bag-shaking means dispose along said side Wall of said lter bag.

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date DALE C GERBER- 1,964,622 Sutherland June 126, 1932 EUGENE L- SNYDER 1,946,665 Bieth Feb. 13, 1934 5 2,219,567 Spielman Oct. 29, 1940 REFERENCES CITED th 2,266,976 Leathers Dec. 23, 1941 The following references are of record in e le of this patent: FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y Country Date 10 700,388 Germany Mar. 6, 1941 Norway June 26, 1943 

